Late, laidback ballad material from the great Chet Baker – and a set that, like so many of his other 80s recordings, has a subtle brilliance that really sets it apart from his better-known material of the 50s! Baker's horn is open, airy, and does more with less than ever before – really feeling the placement of the notes as he works alongside superb piano work from Harold Danko, in a group that also features John Burr on bass and Ben Riley on drums. Titles include "Sea Breeze", "Angel Eyes", "Round Midnight", "You & The Night & The Music", "I'm A Fool To Want You", and "You Have Been Here All Along". CD

Moody brilliance from pianist Mike Nock – a solid quartet date that features plenty of edgey tenor from Michael Brecker, who's in really great form throughout! The rhythm section has a nicely snakey vibe too – with George Mraz on bass and Al Foster on drums – and both players can come on strong when Mike needs them to, then lay back into some warmer, lyrical modes that really show Nock's melodic development at this point in his career. The piano is acoustic throughout – and titles include "Break Time", "Dark Light", "Shadows Of Forgotten Love", "Hadrian's Wall", and "The Gift". CD

The great Dan Hicks at the height of his powers – working in a sublime acoustic mode that weaves together strands of gypsy swing, American roots, harmony vocals, and plenty more too – all in a mode that's lean and timeless, and which was one of the hipper new sounds on the west coast scene of his generation! Dan works with great support from vocalists Maryann Price and Naomi Ruth Eisenberg – alongside instrumentation that includes guitar, bass, violin, mandolin, and plenty of percussion – all wrapped up with a sublime sound that has all the elements resonating together wonderfully! Titles include a great remake of his earlier gem "I Scare Myself" – plus "You Got To Believe", "O'Reilly At The Bar", "Moody Richard", "The Laughing Song", "Canned Music", "Skippy's Farewell", "Fujiyama", "Woe The Luck", and "I'm An Old Cowhand". CD

2 blues classics from the great Howlin Wolf – back to back on a single CD! First up is the self-titled Howlin Wolf – a record that has Wolf tightening it up a bit from his earliest years at Chess, and moving into a groove that would forever make him one of the key artists to record for the label! The raspy, rootsy feel of earlier years is still in place – but the recording quality's a bit better, and the tunes have a more unified feel – thanks partly to some classic compositions from Willie Dixon, whose work makes up a very big part of the album! Tunes were recorded between the years 1959 to 1962, and brought together for the record – and titles include "Shake For Me", "Spoonful", "Going Down Slow", "Down In The Bottom", "Wang Dang Doodle", "Red Rooster", and "Tell Me". On Moanin In The Moonlight, a set filled with raspy vocals, Wolf sings in a way that definitely lives up to his nickname! The sound here is spare and stripped down, with very little accompaniment – usually just a bit of guitar, piano, bass, and drums – and sometimes not even all that much! Wolf's vocals are wonderful throughout – archetypal, but not nearly as cliched as some of his contemporaries came to sound – with a timeless feel that really holds up throughout. Titles include "Smokestack Lightnin", "No Place To Go", "All Night Boogie", "Evil", "I Asked For Water", "Forty Four", and "Somebody In My Home". CD

One of the first moments of genius from a young Pharoah Sanders – a set that builds on the energy of John Coltrane's Love Supreme generation – but takes it in a much more expansive direction! The album's got a sense of majesty that's years ahead of its time – righteous, positive, spiritual jazz that flows out with a timeless power, and a quality that almost out-Coltrane's Coltrane! All tracks are long, expressive, and freely flowing – building with a very organic sense of energy – totally free from any gimmicks or cliche. Players include Dave Burrell on piano, Henry Grimes on bass, and Sonny Sharrock on guitar – and Pharoah plays alto, tenor, and piccolo – and even vocalizes a bit. The album begins with the amazing "Upper & Lower Egypt" – which is a perfect illustration of the two sides of Pharoah's genius – free/out & spiritual/modal – and other titles include "Japan", and "Capricorn Rising". CD

Two Pharoah Sanders classics – back to back on a single CD! Tauhid is one of the first moments of genius from a young Pharoah Sanders – a set that builds on the energy of John Coltrane's Love Supreme generation – but takes it in a much more expansive direction! The album's got a sense of majesty that's years ahead of its time – righteous, positive, spiritual jazz that flows out with a timeless power, and a quality that almost out-Coltrane's Coltrane! All tracks are long, expressive, and freely flowing – building with a very organic sense of energy – totally free from any gimmicks or cliche. Players include Dave Burrell on piano, Henry Grimes on bass, and Sonny Sharrock on guitar – and Pharoah plays alto, tenor, and piccolo – and even vocalizes a bit. The album begins with the amazing "Upper & Lower Egypt" – which is a perfect illustration of the two sides of Pharoah's genius – free/out & spiritual/modal – and other titles include "Japan", and "Capricorn Rising". Jewels Of Thought is a wonderful reunion of Pharoah Sanders and vocalist Leon Thomas – and a set that captures a lot of the same energy as the pair's previous record – Karma! Thomas' vocals are in wonderful form for the set – stretching out soulfully on the extended classic "Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah-Hum-Allah" – a title that has much of the same grace and power as "The Creator Has A Master Plan. The rest of the players on the date include Lonnie Liston Smith on piano, Richard Davis and Cecil McBee on basses, and Idris Muhammad and Roy Haynes on drums – and unusually enough, each of the double bassists and drummers gets their own channel of sound to work with! The other long track on the album is the extended "Sun In Aquarius" – which is a bit more outside, but still pretty great! CD

A rootsy blues 2-fer – with two rare Prestige Blues sessions on a single CD! First up is Blues & Folk – a set with a very appropriate title, given the earthy feel of the music – mostly just guitar from Brownie McGhee and harmonica from Sonny Terry – plus vocals by both! There's a really laidback, back-to-the-delta sort of sound here – all acoustic, and a real change from the electric blues that was coming out in the mainstream at the time. Titles include "Gone Gal", "Red River Blues", "Sonny's Squall", "Tryin To Win", "Too Nicey Mama", and "Meet Me Down The Bottom". Next is Blues All Around My Head – very stripped down material from the team of Sonny Terry & Brownie McGhee – recorded during the pair's big revival with the folk blues crowds of the 60s! The sound is all acoustic – mostly just vocals, guitar, and harmonica – played with a timeless quality on titles that include "Muddy Water", "My Plan", "Trying To Destroy Me", "Jealous Man", "Understand Me", and "Blues Of Happiness". CD

A lost modern soul jazz classic! Altoist Bobby Watson is one of the most soulful players on his instrument in the past 20 years – and he never sounds better than when recording with bassist Curtis Lundy, a richly talented player who's best known to folks for his work with Betty Carter. This sublime session features Watson and Lundy playing in a quartet with Mulgrew Miller on piano and the great Kenny Washington on drums – grooving in a mode that's slightly modal, slightly spiritual – driven by an underground fire that makes the session a timeless one that we find ourselves returning to again and again. The spirit of the best 70s indie soul jazz sessions is alive and well on this one – and the album's filled with wonderful original compositions, including "Jewel", "ETA", "To See Her Face", "Minority", and "Orange Blossom". Plus, the CD also features 3 bonus tracks – "On The One", "Karita", and an alternate of "To See Her Face". CD

A timeless jangly country rock album from a band that didn't sound like it was setting out to reinvent the wheel, even if they ultimately almost did! At the time, pressure was pretty high to live up the preceding legacy of the Uncle Tupelo and contemporaneous debut of Son Volt, but in hindsight, this is just a straight up, no bs, solid, tuneful batch of songs that don't sound at first like they're among best of their kind until you realize you're humming and singing them to yourself days, years and decades later! Includes "I Must Be High", "I Thought I Held You", "Dash 7", "Blue Eyed Soul", "Shouldn't Be Ashamed", "It's Just That Simple", "Casino Queen" and more. CD

A modern country rock masterpiece. Wilco's second album, an unlikely (for its time) major label double album does an incredible job of showing stylistic breadth and sprawl behind lyrical and emotional consistency, arrangements-wise recalling the best of the band's more adventurously rootsy forbears enough to not unfairly call it "alt-country" at the time, but it's ultimately timeless. Here we are decades later and it doesn't sound like it's aged a day. Includes "Misunderstood", "Far, Far Away", "Red-Eyed And Blue", "Forget the Flowers", "Outta Mind (Outta Sight)", "Kingpin", "Whole Would You Wanna Live", "Dreamer In My Dreams" and more. CD

Cassandra Wilson's tribute to Miles Davis – a pretty brave and ambitious move, writing lyrics to classic Miles compositions – and a winning one! Wilson produced the record, too, and her genuine love of the material makes it worth – as does her fairly earthy, timeless production. Made in the late 90s, and it honestly hasn't aged a day. Very impressive! It's a Miles-centric set, but there's a couple non-Miles numbers too, and the titles include "Run The Voodoo Down", "Traveling Miles", "Time After Time", "When The Sun Goes Down", "Someday My Prince Will Come", "Resurrection Blues (Tutu)", "Piper", "Prancing", "Right Here, Right Now" and more. CD

A Chilean group with a really wonderful sound – one that mixes familiar folksy guitar and flute with some larger string arrangements – in a style that's quite sublime, and which echoes strongly with the British acid folk generation! Lyrics are all in Spanish, but there's a timeless universality here that gets past any language barrier – an earthy feel that holds strongly throughout, and which unfolds with incredible beauty throughout the set. Titles include "Arrebol", "Mentes Prenadas De Amor", "Estrecha A Tu Hermano", "Fantastico", "Cosas Que Suceden", "Ecliptica", and "Tanto Parcelamiento". CD

A critical comeback album for Dylan – who never really went away, he was just floundering a bit commercially and critically for a number of years – one that set him up to ride high again for years to come! This is his second album working with producer Daniel Lanois, who helmed the pretty excellent Oh Mercy a few years earlier. Lanois's trademark haze and mood hover over Dylan and his band's wonderful take on timeless folk-blues-roots rock and some of best, most forthright lyricism since Blood On The Tracks. Wrestling with mortality, Dylan delivers a late career classic. Includes "Love Sick", "Dirt Road Blues", "Standing In The Doorway", "Million Miles", "Trying To Get To Heaven", "Til I Fell In Love With You", "Not Dark Yet", "Cold Irons Bound", "Can't Wait", "Make You Feel My Live" and the seemingly improvised, old school Dylan-styled (if more meandering) "Highlands". CD

The Feelies going strong in the late 80s – as timeless and influential as ever! Only Life might not be chiseled into the post punk/indie rock Pantheon as prominently as their underground iconic Crazy Rhythms, but this really is a classic we hold nearly as dear! The hypnotically layered guitars slow build to perfection, the production is neatly void of late 80s recording studio technological trends – which seems like a minor miracle, seeing how poorly so many of their peers' albums of the period have aged – and the always great Velvet Underground-inspired vocals even culminate in a nice cover of Lou Reed's "What Goes On". Greatness! Other titles include "It's Only Life", "Higher Ground", "Deep Fascination", "The Undertow","The Final Word" and "For Awhile". CD

Aretha's grooving sweetly here in the early 80s for Arista – on a record that's produced by none other than Luther Vandross – and it's a damn strong one, too! Aretha wasn't the first, or the last classic soul singer to embrace the 80s, but relatively few outshined their younger peers as brilliantly as Aretha does here! She's great on this one! There's plenty of space in the arrangements for Aretha to do here thing – emoting naturally, improvising some of vocals, and really just knocking it out of the park. Luther's production shows ample love and respect for the previous generation of soul, while still sounding right at home in '82 – with some timeless ballads along with contemporary chart-ready grooves. Titles include "Jump To It", "Love Me Right", "If She Son't Want Your Lovin'", "This Is For Real", "It's Just Your Love", "I Want To Make It Up To You" and "It's Just Your Thing". CD

Fantastic work from a really wonderful trio – a group with a sense of space and scope that's completely sublime! We've always loved the piano work of Masabumi Kikuchi, but here he really has this special energy next to the basswork of Gary Peacock – a player who somehow always feels a bit different when he's in a Japanese setting than a more familiar one – a perfect match for the percussion of Masahiko Togashi, who is maybe the freest player on the record at times – and working with that very open, sensitive way he has of handling a drum kit! The recording quality is amazing – all the different elements both separate and together at once – and the whole thing is a real lost treasure from the time, superbly recorded and done with a very timeless quality. This 4CD set brings together everything recorded during these wonderful sessions – some quite long – and titles include "Song In D", "Carla", "Little Abi", "Rambling", "Straight No Chaser", "Moor", "Good Bye", "Peace", "Nature Boy", "Tennessee Waltz", "My Favorite Things", "Summertime", "Begin The Beguine", "Waltz Step", and "Bley's Triad". CD

The never predictable, always endearing spacey pop soul chanteuse Kelis's debut for Ninja Tune – working with producer Dave Sitek – and it's her best record in years! We've loved Kelis from get-to around here, going back to when her vocal presence grounded the spacier sounds of the young Neptunes production style in genuine soul, and she's doing that again here with Sitek in the production booth. As you'd guess from the album and song titles, it's got a foodie theme, but it's a loose one, and the songs stand strongly on their own. The surprising thing is how rooted in timeless soul it is; if you thought the move to Ninja Tune would beget a farther trip to the dancefloor cosmos, think again. Keep on defying expectations, Kelis. It's just one of the reasons we've always loved ya! Includes "Breakfast", "Jerk Ribs", "Forever Be", "Floyd", "Runnin'" Hooch". "Cobbler", "Bless The Telephone", "Friday Fish Fry", "Change", "Rumble", "Biscuits N' Gravy" and "Dreamer". Bonus CD edition includes a disc with remixes by Mount Kimbie, Machinedrum, Will Saul & Komon, Ben Pierce and more! CD

A Round Two KO from Timo Lassey – modern jazzy sounds with classic resonance from the Finnish saxophonist and his killer combo – featuring a couple of standout vocal numbers featuring Jose James and with sharp production by Teddy Rok! The group delivers timeless jazz with passion and verve – no mere revivalists here, this is a group that drives deeply grooving swing, bop, Latin jazz and other classic influences with contemporary swagger. Jose James is one of our favorite contemporary vocalists and he always exudes a jazz depth, but to hear him in a setting where can go all in with it is wonderful – but those numbers don't steal any fire from the instrumental grooves that are the heart & soul of the set. Tenor & baritone sax man Timo Lassey is backed alto Ari Jokelainen, the always excellent Jukka Eskola oin trumpet, Mikko Mustonen on trombone,Georgios Kontrafouris on keys, Antti Kotjonen on bass, Teppo Makynen on drums and Abdissa Assefa on percussion. Includes "The More I Look At You", "Shifting Winds", "Ya Dig", "Some Love", "Deeper Into", "Fooling Rosetta", "Backyard Puma" and "Buzz Beater Stomp". CD

Bettye Lavette's best record yet for Anti- – a modern classic from a bonafide legendary deep soul singer – and she sounds as wonderful as she has in years! If her voice has picked up some grit over the years, it's no less beautiful – and the experience only enhances the material. The song choices are terrific – kicking off with the somewhat overlooked Dylan treasure "Everything Is Broken" – and several others eclectic, classic-level songs that span a number of genres – adapted masterfully into a timeless sound that's distinctly southern, but it eschews he retro revival style, for a unique vibe of it's own. Producer Craig Street and the tight group of musicians assembled for the record deserve a lot of credit, but none more than the inspiring Bettye Lavette! Includes "I'm Not The One", "Dirty Old Town" (plus a great closing slow version), "Yesterday Is Here", "Thankful N' Thoughtful", "Time Will Do The Talking", "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere" and more. CD

An unimpeachable metal masterpiece! Master Of Puppets is one of the rare cases when the critical and popular consensuses match right up and are both right on the money – there's just no arguing against this being considered one of the greatest, most influential, and surprisingly timeless metal albums of all time – and it built that reputation organically, fan by fan, without radio or music videos to hype it. All the more impressive for the few disarmingly quiet moments and borderline pretty instrumental passages before the heaviness comes walloping back in, this one is for the ages. All classic songs on this one: "Battery", "Master Of Puppets", "The Thing That Should Not Be", "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)", "Disposable Heroes", "Leper Messiah", "Orion" and "Damage, Inc.". CD

Miguel Migs has often skewed more towards the soulful side of the house and otherwise club groove sound, and he does so on an even deeper level with Outside The Skylike! This one features a diverse roster of guests – and an impressive one, too – Meshell Ndegeocello, Bebel Gilberto, Capleton, Lisa Shaw, Evelyn Champagne King, Aya, Lisa Shaw and more! Really impressive work from Miguel, with timeless club soul influences going into inventive club grooves of his own unique inspiration. Includes "Tonight" and "Close Your Eyes" feat Meshell Ndegeocello, "Breakdown" and "Lose Control" with Lisa Shaw, "The Distance and "Don't Stop" feat Aya, "Life" feat Half Pint, "Changin'"f eat Sonny J Jameson, "The System" feat Capleton, "Getaway" with Georg Levin, "Zuzu" with Bebel Gilberto and more. CD

A gem from the great Lloyd Miller – backed by modern Brit jazz funk maestros The Heliocentrics – and a credit to the legacies of all involved! Miller has worked timeless, hypnotic magic on an array of Middle Eastern and Asian instrumentation throughout his career, here playing piano, Indian santur, clarinet, Chinese sona, sitar, wood flute, oud and more – and this effort stands strongly with his best. He's accompanied by the masterful Malcolm Catto & The Heliocentrics – showing as much depth and versatility as ever in largely acoustic and improvisational setting – and the bottom line is that it's just as wonderful as their work with Mulatu. As much as we've flipped out over the Heliocentrics efforts as headliners to date, it's quite stunning how well they work backing such influential and legendary figures. Essential! Includes "Electricone", "Nava", "Mandala", "Spiritual Jazz", "Bali Bronze", "Modality", "Salendro", "Pari Ru", "Lloyd's Diatribe", "Fantasia" (Pts 1 & 2), "Chahargah", "Sunda Sunset" and more. CD

The scene may be changing, but nothing can dampen the fire of the great Bud Powell – and, if anything, this fifth installment in Blue Note's "Amazing" series may well have the pianist at his mature best! The rhythm duo are wonderful – more late 50s modern hardbop than some of Bud's accompanists in years past – the great Paul Chambers on bass and Art Taylor on drums, both of whom can bring the fire when needed, yet also craft their lines with these subtle touches that really match Powell's incredible dexterity on piano. Tunes are shorter than usual for a Blue Note album of this vintage – but mostly because all three players pack a hell of a lot into a very small space – and really make timeless magic on titles that include "Down With It", "Cleopatra's Dream", "Gettin' There", "Danceland", "Borderick", and "Duid Dee". CD features a bonus alternate take of "Comin Up". CD

A great amalgamation of players – and a quintet with powers far beyond their hokey name! The group's working in a polished approach to post-bop – a bit like styles heard on some of the Timeless and Steeplechase sessions of the late 70s, but with a more directive approach that really pushes the strong tunes on the set. The quintet features Charlie Rouse on tenor, Benny Bailey on trumpet, Albert Dailey on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Keith Copeland on drums – all working their way through longish tunes by composers that include John Hicks and Fritz Pauer, as well as Rouse and Dailey. The album features a beautiful take on Hicks' great tune "Naima's Love Song", plus the tracks "After The Morning", "Spelunke", "Lil Sherry", and "Mr McGhee". CD

Alice Russell's neo classic funk soul style gets the remix treatment – a sprawling 2CD set with remixes by DJ Vadim, Mr Scruff, Kid Gusto, Clonious, J-Boogie, Shawn Lee, Ohmega Watts, Ticklah, The Heavy, DJ Day & Clutchy Hopkins, Yellowtail and others! Alice Russell is a surprising choice for this kind of remix project, given the depth of reverent soul in her voice, and the general old school modeled songs, but she's in the hands of producers who know how to craft a timeless club groove without sacrificing the soul – keeping the original integrity of the tunes in place while putting their personal stamp on the groove. 22 tracks on 2CDs: "Let us Be Loving" (Kidkanevil rmix), "Got The Hunger?" (DJ Vadim rmx), "All Alone" (Mocean Worker rmx), "Lights Went Out" (LJM rmx), "Two Steps" (Shawn Lee's 7 Inches Of Soul rmx), "All Alone" (DJ Day Meets Clutchy Hopkins remx., "Universe" (GRC's Quiet Carnival mix) and more. CD

One of the first moments of genius from a young Pharoah Sanders – a set that builds on the energy of John Coltrane's Love Supreme generation – but takes it in a much more expansive direction! The album's got a sense of majesty that's years ahead of its time – righteous, positive, spiritual jazz that flows out with a timeless power, and a quality that almost out-Coltrane's Coltrane! All tracks are long, expressive, and freely flowing – building with a very organic sense of energy – totally free from any gimmicks or cliche. Players include Dave Burrell on piano, Henry Grimes on bass, and Sonny Sharrock on guitar – and Pharoah plays alto, tenor, and piccolo – and even vocalizes a bit. The album begins with the amazing "Upper & Lower Egypt" – which is a perfect illustration of the two sides of Pharoah's genius – free/out & spiritual/modal – and other titles include "Japan", and "Capricorn Rising". CD

Dam-Funk and Snoopzilla, aka Snoop Dogg, teaming up as 7 Days Of Funk – and it's not merely a new day for the timeless G-Funk sound – they're packing a whole week of it! Producer Dam-Funk and MC/singer Snoop couldn't be a better match – Snoop delivering laidback rhymes and easy going funk singing with a deep love for 70s and 80s G-Funk – and Dam-Funk was born to carry on the legacy of that vibe. Thankfully, they're doing it for Stones Throw – a label that no doubt allows these guys to do it as they see fit without pressuring them for a hit single – so this is creative win, and a hell of a lot of fun! Guests include Bootsy Collins, Steve Arrington and Kurupt. Titles include "Hit Da Pavement", "Let It Go", "Faden Away", "1Question?", "Ride", "Do My Thang", "I'll Be There For You" and the bonus track "Stystamatic" feat Tha Dogg Pound. CD

An overlooked gem from Zoot Sims – a session that has him working in very laidback company with Jimmy Rowles on piano, who tipples the keys of the piano with a really timeless late nite kind of sound! The style here is a bit like that of the Rowles/Getz album The Peacocks – although a bit more straightforward overall, with a main focus on the talents of both soloists, coming together beautifully in a relatively spare setting. Bass is by George Mraz and drums are by Mousie Alexander – and the real surprise here is almost Sims, who blows with this open-ended, laidback tone that's really great – a bit languid, but never weary – and somehow with a lot more warmth than on many of his other too-tight records from the 70s. Titles include "Legs", "Shadow Waltz", "I Hear A Rhapsody", "Gypsy Sweetheart", and "Where Our Love Has Gone". CD

A bigger step into a piano led jazzy style from Allen Toussaint – grooving in a timeless Crescent City influenced sound – a wonderful record, one we'll go back to for years to come! Allen's been a huge part of the New Orleans musical landscape for many, many years, and it's not a stretch to imagine he's had the laidback, but evocative jazz of the territory in his blood for just as long – so it's a wonder that he hasn't made a record like this before now. There's nothing cliche or cheesy in Allen's work here, which has kind of an after hours vibe that suits it well, and he's put together an outstanding group of players. Marc Ribot is on guitar, Don Byron on clarinet, Nicholas Payton on trumpet, David Piltch on upright bass, Jay Bellarose on drums, and guests Joshua Redman on tenor sax and Brad Mehldau on piano. Titles include "Egyptian Fantasy", "Dear Old Southland", "St James Infirmary", "Singin' The Blues", "Winin' The Blues", West End Blues", "Blue Drag", "Bright Mississippi", "Day Dream", "Solitude" and more. CD

Uncle Tupelo's excellent, unfussy, fairly timeless final album – with equally good songs written by Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy that sound great together even if it's pretty clear in retrospect that they were soon to split up for good. The difference between Uncle Tupelo's loud guitar ragers and folk and roots infused songcraft got a lot more seamless over their years as a band, and on Anodyne they tend to let their rootsier influences shine a little brighter without sacrificing the grit and muscle of the more electric material. This one notably features John Stirratt and Ken Coomer, soon to join Tweedy in Wilco. Includes "Slate", "Acuff-Rose", "The Long Cut", a cover of Doug Sahm's "Give Back The Key To My Heart" featuring Sahm himself on vocals, "Chickamauga", "Anodyne", "15 Keys", "High Water", "Steal The Crumbs" and more. CD

Warm soul and jazz-funk steeped grooves from Glenn Underground – a Chicago house mainstay who's really crafted an excellent set here – one that pays tribute to some of the best dancefloor soul and club funk of past decades, with a timeless groove of its own! Glenn keeps the bass and the beats danceable, underneath 70s soul jazz inspired keys, Afro funk rhythms, and spacey club grooves galore. Very nice work! 8 tracks, mostly running to around the 9 minute mark, stretching out the groove nicely! Titles include "Negro Muzic", "Abstract", "Shake It", "Prelude", "Seven Minutes Of Funk", "What Glenn Thinks", "Blazed" and "Thought Of Groove". CD

A stunning companion to the first Angola Soundtrack set from Analog Africa – and a record that's filled with tunes that are rhythmically feverish, soulfully sung, and tremendously addictive! The music here is from the period soon after the electric guitar began to make a huge impact on regional African music – and the sharp lines of the instrument are woven into the fabric at a level that's both rhythmic and melodic at the same time – often hypnotically produced with a bit more echo than some of the other instruments, and almost always used with a pulse the really drives the tunes! Yet the sounds are never overindulgent or offbeat for their own needs – and instead have this timeless quality that makes the whole collection immediately appealing, even to ears untrained on any other African sounds – coming across with a vibe that goes far beyond the boundaries of language or nation – just the kind of culture-crossing we've come to love from Analog Africa. Titles include "Avante Juventude" by Os Anjos,"Senhor Doutor" by Quim Manuel O Espirito Santo, "N'Hoca" by Tony Von, "Aagarrem" by Africa Ritmos, "Lemba" by Negoleiros Do Ritmo, "Bazooka" by Carlos Lamartine E Aguias Reias, "Olha O Pica" by Africa Ritmos, "Despedida" by Dimba Diangola, and "Fatimita" by Urbano De Castro – plus the bonus track "Fuguei Na Escola (Para Jogar A Bola)" by Teta Lando. CD

The third entry in The Jazz Influence series compiled by Kevin Yost – a sweet set of electronic fusion grooves with a fairly timeless mix of warm keys and beat flavored numbers. Includes tracks by Euphonic 7, Adagio, Guy Monk, Sonny Jones, Luke Hampton, Love J, Three B, and Dream System. CD

A time-spanning compilation that mixes old and new disco tunes alike! The set begins with the more cosmic sound of 70s club – longer tracks with a strong keyboard groove and really expanded rhythms – and it links those cuts up with more modern ones that still hold onto the soul of the classics, while also stretching forth towards newer sounds. All this makes for a really great set – a timeless blend of tunes that really fit well together, presented in unmixed format for a super-long package of tracks! Titles include "Over & Over" by Sylvester, "Everybody Get Dancin" by The Bombers, "Reckless Girl" by The Beginerz, "Bad Habit (demo)" by ATFC presents Onephatdeeva, "I Feel Love (1977 original)" by Donna Summer, "Do What You Wanna Do" by T Connection, "I Will Follow You (full intention club)" by Una Mas, "There But For The Grace Of God Go I" by Machine, "Keep On Jumpin" by Musique, "You Can't Hide From Your Bud" by DJ Sneak, "Music Makes Me Happy (ATFC vocal)" by Tomy or Zox, "Dangerous Vibes (Spen & Kamizra deepah dub)" by Ferry Ultra with Roy Ayers, "Let's Get Horny" by Hi Voltage, "Too Much Love (Axwell voc)" by Michelle Wilson, and "Love Is Freedom" by Joey Negro vs Secret Sounds. 26 tracks in all. CD

Maybe the coolest record ever put out by the Luaka Bop label – and that's really saying a lot, given all the amazing albums they've given us over the years! The set's a perfect musical tonic for the times – a set of underground singles from the 70s, most of which fall in a space between the secular and spiritual – message-oriented, but not entirely from the scriptures – with a humanist message of positivity that's completely timeless – as powerful now as it was when these gems were recorded! The source of most of these records is from a gospel perspective, but they work a lot more in the territory of righteous 70s soul – making the same sort of shift that The Staple Singers or Voices Of East Harlem did on a better-known scale. Titles include "Peace In The Land" by The Gospel IQs, "We Got A Race To Run" by Staples Jr Singers, "I'm Trying To Be Your Friend" by The Soul Stirrers, "Don't Give Up" by The William Singers, "Let Your Light Shine" by Willie Dale, "It's Hard To Live In This Old World" by Rev Harvey Gates, "Time For Peace" by The Little Shadows, "We Don't Love Enough" by The Triumphs, and a great reworking of Earth Wind & Fire in "Keep Your Faith To The Sky" by Willie Scott & The Birmingham Spirituals. CD

A soaring classic from Angie Bofil – a record that stands as one of the most perfect demonstrations of her upbeat, positive approach to soul! There's a style here that seems to be a bit in the legacy of Minnie Riperton – especially the way that Narada Michael Waldon brings in some deeper currents to the arrangements – and, a bit like Riperton, Angie's got an approach here that's as timeless all these years later as it was catchy at the time! Angie's taking things to a sophisticated soul level with this one – stepping out on a few ballads with a proud and emotive style, but still sounding best on the mellow grooving tunes, which seem to be the best fit for her voice. Titles include "On & On", "Something About You", "Stop Look Listen", "Time To Say Goodbye", "Holdin Out For Love", and "Only Love". CD

A simple trio album, but a really great one – the kind that almost re-ignites Ray Bryant's career, which is a hard thing to do, given how many records he's already got under his belt! But somehow, there's really something fresh going on here – an array of sounds and modes that goes far beyond his earlier sides for Columbie, Sue, and even Atlantic – and although Bryant was heard on the latter label only a few short years before this outing, the style here is something different altogether. There's almost a timeless approach here – but not in a hokey way – one that's still firmly grounded in the rhythmic impulses of Ray's soul jazz years, but which also easily traverses a piano jazz territory of many more eras – almost in the way of Jaki Byard, but without as much of a gimmick. Rhythm is by George Duvivier on bass and Grady Tate on drums, and we've never heard Ray sound so great in such a setting. Titles include "Prayer Song", "Lil Darlin", "Girl Talk", "Good Morning Heartache", and "Manteca". CD

The third album from The English Beat and another step further away from their rougher roots – which may not have sat well with strident fans of their earlier, punchier ska revival sounds – but it stands up today as one of the most timeless leftfield pop albums of the early 80s! The Beat never discarded their calypso, ska, rocksteady inspirations, they simply expanded upon them – and there's plenty of hooky, catchy songcraft on Special Beat Service – as well as the uncommonly soulful pop of songs like "Save It For Later"! Other tracks include "I Confess", "Jeanette", "Sorry", "Sole Salvation", "She's Going", "End OF The Party", "Ackee 1 2 3" and more. CD

80s material from trumpeter Rolf Ericson – but sides that we'd rank right up there with his better-known work from the 50s! There's a great back-to-basics feel to this material – a timeless quality that has Rolf really hitting his stride and the best side of his sound – blowing trumpet and flugelhorn on most of the set in a quintet with Nils Sandsdtrom on tenor, Goran Lindberg on piano, and Mel Lewis on drums – but also working beautifully on a few duet sides with pianist Claes Croona. No matter the setting, Ericson blows with a strength of feeling and sense of tone that's totally great – one that makes us wonder how we lost track of him in the years between the albums we have in our collection, and this surprise session from the 80s. Titles include "Evelyn", "What Am I Here For", "Without A Song", "Mel's Bells", "Nancy With The Laughing Face", "Stockholm Sweetnin", and "Just Squeeze Me". CD

Aretha's grooving sweetly here in the early 80s for Arista – on a record that's produced by none other than Luther Vandross – and it's a damn strong one, too! Aretha wasn't the first, or the last classic soul singer to embrace the 80s, but relatively few outshined their younger peers as brilliantly as Aretha does here! She's great on this one! There's plenty of space in the arrangements for Aretha to do here thing – emoting naturally, improvising some of vocals, and really just knocking it out of the park. Luther's production shows ample love and respect for the previous generation of soul, while still sounding right at home in '82 – with some timeless ballads along with contemporary chart-ready grooves. Titles include "Jump To It", "Love Me Right", "If She Don't Want Your Lovin'", "This Is For Real", "It's Just Your Love", "I Want To Make It Up To You" and "It's Your Thing". CD

Some of the greatest work ever recorded by tenorist Buck Hill – a local player on the DC scene, and one who hardly ever got his due on record! We'd rank Buck right up there with Von Freeman – another local player who spent years honing his tenor sound in a local setting, yet who never got the right sort of fame because he kept away from the New York or LA scenes. And here, Hill's got an incredibly timeless sound in his horn – really deep, beautiful, and undeniably soulful – a sense of raspy tone that goes back to Lester Young or Ben Webster, but a freer, more open sense of swing too – brought out nicely by rhythm work from Reuben Brown on piano, Wilbur Little on bass, and Billy Hart on drums. This set features the second half of a great live European performance from 1981 – with titles that include "Alone Together", "Impressions", and "Penn Station". CD